1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an apparatus and method for training bartenders and the like to pour predetermined quantities of liquids into ungraduated containers.
2. Background
In the preparation of mixed drinks and other beverages in the retail liquor service industry, it is important to accurately measure the amount of liquid poured into the serving container in order to prepare certain beverages according to a recipe and in order to provide the customer with the customary or standard measured quantity of beverage. Various types of measuring devices have been used in the bartending trade including, for example, the classic jigger or "shotglass" type measuring container. The use of this item in preparing mixed drinks and other beverages is time consuming, relatively inaccurate and is often subject to suspicion by the patron. Moreover, inaccuracies in overpouring expensive alcoholic drinks can result in substantial lost profits in establishments doing relatively large volumes of business.
Various devices have been developed to more accurately measure the quantities of liquid poured into ungraduated mixing and serving containers. Automatic dispensing systems which dispense premeasured quantities of liquid have been developed, however, these systems are expensive and are not easily adapted to dispense a wide variety of liquids and component beverage ingredients typically found in a well stocked bar or lounge. Moreover, the automatic dispensing systems also convey a somewhat mechanized image to the patron which is not in keeping with the atmosphere desired in most restaurants and drinking establishments.
Certain other measuring devices have been developed including those which fit onto the bottle or container from which the liquid is dispensed and which measure out a predetermined quantity during the pouring process. However, these devices are cumbersome to use, are relatively slow in operation, subject to malfunction and are fairly unattractive when mounted on the dispensing container or bottle.
In view of the shortcomings of prior art measuring devices and processes, the trend in the retail liquor service industry has been to utilize so called "free pouring" of measured quantities of beverages and beverage ingredients in the bartending trade. Free pouring, of course, requires skill on the part of the bartender to accurately measure the quantity being poured without actually utilizing a graduated pouring or receiving container. This process requires training and practice and also requires testing of bartender trainees, and from time to time veteran practitioners, to sharpen their pouring skills. Heretofore, bartenders have been trained to perform the so called free pouring operation by simply pouring liquids from respective dispensing containers into an ungraduated container and then checking the accuracy of the pouring operation using a second container such as a jigger or shotglass. The accuracy of so called jigger or shotglass type containers is subject to judgment error by the bartender or instructor due to the formation of a concave or convex meniscus at the container mouth. The misreading of the quantity of liquid in a jigger or shotglass may result in as much as a fifteen percent error in volume actually poured during the training or testing process and, of course, in actual use.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a suitable apparatus which is adapted for training and testing those persons working in the retail liquor service industry, which apparatus is adapted for testing the pouring skills of an individual to pour a relatively large number of predetermined quantities of liquid without using graduated dispensing or receiving containers and without using any mechanical devices other than a conventional pouring spout fitted to the dispensing container or bottle.